News: search results for 'capnrex101'
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Review: 75015 Corporate Alliance Tank Droid
Posted by CapnRex101, 12 Jun 2013 06:04. Filed under Set review.
(Please welcome the newest member of the Brickset team, CapnRex101 (AKA Chris) who'll be writing reviews for us -- Huw)While Huw is doing an excellent job providing some reviews of the second wave of Galaxy Squad sets, I have been charged with reviewing some Star Wars sets this summer. Apologies for my photography; I am not nearly as experienced with the actual taking of photos with the correct lighting and such as Huw or DrDaveWatford, nor am I particularly savvy when it comes to Photoshop. Hopefully I will improve with time.
The LEGO Star Wars summer wave met with some criticism when set names and images were first revealed as the vast majority of these sets are remakes, as well as being almost exclusively from the Prequel Trilogy and The Clone Wars, which is not necessarily as universally popular as the Original Trilogy.
The smallest set of this summer’s selection is 75015, Corporate Alliance Tank Droid, consisting of 271-pieces and priced at a very reasonable £19.99 or $19.99. While the set itself inspired little interest initially, thanks both to the relative obscurity of the vehicle and the fact that we last saw a Corporate Alliance Tank Droid only four years ago in set 7748, one Minifigure in particular has created some excitement surrounding this set, that being the notorious Jango Fett, in his first outing in LEGO since 2002.
Continue reading Review: 75015 Corporate Alliance Tank Droid
35 comments, latest one posted 4 days ago.5119 views
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First image of Superman: Battle of Smallville
Posted by Huw, 25 Mar 2013 09:24. Filed under New sets.
UK retailer Argos has published the first images of 76003 Superman: Battle of Smallville.
Click through on the image to see the hi-res version on flickr. You'll find the hi-res white-background version on the set details page. I can't quite read the text under the minifigs, but it appears to contain Superman, General Zod, Colonel Hardy(?), Faora and Tor-An.
A better image of 76002 Superman: Metropolis Showdown was also published, so I've added it to the database.
Presumably the fact that they've beed added suggests that they'll be available soon.
Thanks JustTooGood and CapnRex101 for the heads-up
40 comments, latest one posted 3 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)5253 views
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Introducing the LEGO Madhouse
Posted by Huw, 26 Jan 2013 04:14. Filed under Miscellaneous.
Christopher Pearce (AKA CapnRex101), who contributes well-written reviews of Star Wars sets for Brickset has started his own blog.The LEGO Madhouse is a blog about LEGO Super Heroes and in particular about planning and building a large model of Arkham Asylum.
So, please go and check it out and leave Chris some constructive comments and encouragement on the site.
22 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2917 views
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Palpatine's Arrest review, part 2
Posted by Huw, 22 Aug 2012 07:49. Filed under Set review.
In part 1 we covered the box contents and the minifigs. Today CapnRex101 and I complete our review with a look at the build and the completed model.
15 comments, latest one posted 10 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)5769 views
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Palpatine's Arrest review, part 1
Posted by Huw, 16 Aug 2012 08:53. Filed under Set review.
This set has been out for a few weeks on both sides of the Atlantic but given the interest in it, both before and after release, I think it's still worthy of a Brickset review.So, I've teamed up with CapnRex101 again to bring you one.
Part 1 deals with the box, contents and minifigs.
31 comments, latest one posted 10 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)8963 views
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9497 Republic Striker-class Starfighter review
Posted by Huw, 02 Jul 2012 09:28. Filed under Set review.
9497 Republic Striker-class Starfighter is the second model based on The Old Republic to be released this year.CapnRex101 is on vacation now so you'll have to make do with just me reviewing it, I'm afraid.
Being unfamiliar withThe Old Republic, I thought I'd try and find out about the ship before reviewing it, but I've failed to find any mention of it anywhere. A Google image search just returns pictures of the LEGO model!
The closest match at Wookiepedia that I found is the Talon-class Republic Starfighter which shares some design similarities with this model, and the page does state that 'The title of this article is conjectural.' so maybe they are one in the same.
Anyway, on to the review...
Continue reading 9497 Republic Striker-class Starfighter review
28 comments, latest one posted 11 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3567 views
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9498 Saesee Tiin's Jedi Starfighter review
Posted by Huw, 01 Jul 2012 13:45. Filed under Set review.
It's about time we finished off our reviews of the summer Star Wars sets...Today, CapnRex101 and I turn our attention to 9498 Saesee Tiin's Jedi Starfighter.
It's not the best of the summer sets but it does have its good points. Read on to find out more...
21 comments, latest one posted 11 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3239 views
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9500 Sith Fury-class Interceptor review, part 2
Posted by Huw, 22 Jun 2012 03:48. Filed under Set review.
In part two of the review we look at construction of the model, and discuss the swooshability of the completed ship.Read on to find out why this is one of the best Star Wars ships LEGO has made...
Continue reading 9500 Sith Fury-class Interceptor review, part 2
26 comments, latest one posted 12 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)4174 views
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9500 Sith Fury-class Interceptor review, part 1
Posted by Huw, 21 Jun 2012 08:46. Filed under Set review.
Here is, then, Darth Malgus, said by many to be the best Star Wars minifig ever.Now I've seen him for myself I have to agree that he is very cool, and his armour is superbly detailed and painted, but the best ever? Probably not. The main problem is, er, who the heck is he? I'd never heard of him before now, so I don't have any connection with the character, unlike Queen Amidala or Boba Fett.
Anyway, I've teamed up with CapnRex101 again for a review of the set he comes in, and in part one we look at the packaging, parts and minifigs.
Continue reading 9500 Sith Fury-class Interceptor review, part 1
38 comments, latest one posted 12 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)4359 views
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9516 Jabba's Palace review, part 3
Posted by Huw, 19 Jun 2012 06:09. Filed under Set review.
In the final part of the review, we look at the build and the completed model. Words by CapnRex101, pictures by me...
The build takes about two hours and is quite an enjoyable build. Although not many construction techniques of interest are used, most of the build uses traditional bricks and there is very little Technic involved. The way in which the difficult curved outer surface of the throne room has been formed is quite nice as is the large domed roof which looks superb when completed. No SNOT or other techniques really feature in the construction, but it is a fun and traditional build nevertheless and one which would be ideal for younger Lego fans as it is quite easy to put together due to the numbered bags.When the model is all finished, it looks exquisite. Both the guard tower and the throne room are just about perfect for display and there are a huge number of excellent features to keep younger buyers interested.
31 comments, latest one posted 12 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3936 views
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9516 Jabba's Palace review part 2: the minifigs
Posted by Huw, 18 Jun 2012 04:59. Filed under Set review.
In this second of three parts to our review of 9516 Jabba'a Palace we take a look at the minifigs. Words by CapnRex101, pictures by me...
There are ten fantastic minifigs, almost all of which are brand new! I will start with heroes.
The least interesting minifig of the entire set in my opinion is Chewbacca, he has been seen plenty of times before but is nevertheless a great addition to the set. His sandwich board style head and torso piece is exactly the same as previous versions, it is cast in reddish brown and has a bit of printing on it, his nose is printed in black and the bandoleer he has slung across his chest is printed in silver on both the front and back which is accurate to the film. His torso is plain reddish brown as are his arms and hands. His legs too are just plain brown with no printing at all. In this set Chewbacca comes with light grey handcuffs as he has been captured and is being ransomed to Jabba at this point.
The next minifig is Han Solo. The figure is very nicely detailed indeed. He is quite similar to the Han Solo minifig included in set 8097, Slave I, but on this occasion his head printing is totally different. The hair is just the standard male minifig hair in brown, it suits the figure and I am very satisfied with this hair piece overall. His head is printed on both sides and I think it is great. On one side he has a concerned expression with brown eyebrows and a chin dimple. The other side has the same eyebrows and dimple, but his eyes are closed as he is in a state of hibernation trapped inside the Carbonite and, following his release, for a while he is blind due to hibernation sickness which is demonstrated very well by this lovely expression. His mouth is slightly open on this face which looks excellent.
His torso is printed with the creased shirt which Han was wearing when he was encased in Carbonite. It has a lot of detail including plenty of creases in the fabric and his open collar which leaves a bit of flesh visible. There is sadly no back printing, but this is forgivable. His arms are plain white and his hands are the standard flesh colour. Finally, his legs are plain reddish brown just like they are in this scene during Return of the Jedi.Continue reading 9516 Jabba's Palace review part 2: the minifigs
44 comments, latest one posted 12 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3486 views
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9516 Jabba's Palace mega-review, part 1
Posted by Huw, 17 Jun 2012 05:38. Filed under Set review.
This is such a highly anticipated and sought-after set so it's important that we review it fully. I've therefore enlisted the help of gold-rated reviewer CapnRex101 to help. He has provided the text and I've taken the pictures. The review will probably be in three parts. Today we will look at the box, the contents, and Jabba the Hutt. Then, we'll cover the minifigs, and finally we'll take a look at the palace itself.
So, here we go...
This set is based on one of the most famous scenes from the entire Star Wars saga and is an ideal representation of the legendary lair of Jabba the Hutt in my opinion. It is the set I was most excited for of all of this summer’s sets and I am far from disappointed. In fact I am delighted with this wonderful model! The set is a huge step up from the previous incarnation of Jabba's Palace, set 4480, Jabba's Palace which was released in 2003. The model of the building is utterly fantastic, but the Minifigures are even better than that, all ten of the minifigures (I am considering Salacious B. Crumb, the carbonite piece and B'omarr Monk minifigures) are superb, especially the excellent new Jabba the Hutt figure and the brand new Boushh which were both highly anticipated.
39 comments, latest one posted 12 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3318 views
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9499 Gungan Sub, part 2
Posted by Huw, 14 Jun 2012 04:41. Filed under Set review.
Bag 2 contains the base of the cockpit and the three remaining minifigs.This is a quick build. The anchor is the new type introduced last year in the PotC sets, but this is its first apperance in blue.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are new. Obi-Wan has a new torso and head. Qui-Gon looks the same as the one in 7961 Sith Infiltrator...
...until you turn their heads round to reveal their underwater rebreathers.
32 comments, latest one posted 12 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1982 views
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9496 Desert Skiff
Posted by Huw, 13 Jun 2012 06:26. Filed under Set review.
Being from the original Star Wars trilogy, this was one of the most anticipated of the summer Star Wars sets. A reworking of a Desert Skiff was long overdue: the last one (7104) was released in 2000 and is very crude compared to this version which does now look something like the prototype.The set also comes with Sarlacc which is quite cool: you can fit a minifig inside the jaws, which snap shut.
It comes with 4 minifigs, Boba Fett, as discussed below, Lando in disguise, Luke Skywalker and Kithaba, all of whom are new, according to the box.Lando is much better than the last 'in disguise' version of him in Jabba's Sail Barge: the helmet looks to be the same design but has been painted this time.
We haven't had a Kithaba minifig before so he's all new. As someone has mentioned in the flickr comments to this picture, his red trousers stand out a bit much, don't they. Dark red would have been preferable. I think Luke is just sporting a new torso print.
One thing I noticed with this set is that the instructions are printed in a much higher quality paper than other 2012 sets: it's thicker and shinier so is less prone to creasing as you flick through it. It's no doubt more expensive, too.
Overall, a nice set, if a tad expensive, but then which Star Wars set isn't these days...
That's all I have time to write at the moment but for an excellent in-depth review, check out the one written by CapnRex101.
25 comments, latest one posted 12 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2408 views
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Pirates of the Caribbean: first impressions
Posted by Huw, 24 Apr 2011 15:26. Filed under New sets.
I've now built the four smallest PotC sets now so I thought I'd make a few observations about them. If you're still on the fence as to whether to buy them, maybe this will help :-)
- The packaging is excellent. As has been noted in various comments, the boxes are the new, smaller, type.
- The instructions and poster are packed in a plastic bag with a sheet of card to ensure they stay flat, even in the smallest sets.
- There are 27 unique minifigs, but it seems I was misled at the London toy fair: I was told that Jack Sparrow was different in every set, however according to BrickLink, there are just 4 variations, plus the one in 30132 which hasn't been added there yet. They are all excellent with many new accessories and headgear and are printed on the front and back of the torsoes.
- CapnRex101 has written some excellent reviews of two of the sets, and I've leveraged the new feature here to provide links to the pictorial Eurobricks reviews. You'll find them on the PotC theme page.What do you think of them? Add your own review, or comment here.
77 comments, latest one posted 25 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1126 views
